New Kid....

Welcome aboard. Glad you have found our site useful. You got one heck of a Bro! He gave you a great car to start your automotive lust with. We have numerous Tech Articles and discussions that you will find enlightening. We are not as big as other sites, but we provide better content that we strive to be accurate and factual. No newbs here, just Scion enthusiasts that can freely ask questions with out fear of being flammed or scorched. There are no dumb questions or stupid answers. The only stupid person is one that does not ask questions when they are confounded. Everyone, save a few, have learned from others by reading up and asking questions. As for me, it is said that I tend to talk over people's knowledge with technical terminology, theories, and such. I do not do this so much to make myself sound savvy:bi: but more to teach beyond the fundamentals. There is alot of misinformed people out there spitting out rhetoric that is just not true. Knowledge is power and the better informed that we can be, the better off we will be. GI Joe and all that stuff.

BTW... I wouldn't call being 16 a kid. Have you ever followed today's Formula One racing? Most of these guys are like 19-20 years old. They have been racing since pre-teens. I knew guys back in high school that had built cars before they were even old enough to drive.

I know, "Blah, Blah, Blah" so here is something you might find useful. A couple of discussions on Forced Induction, primarily Turbos. There are many more threads so read, read, read.
http://www.club-tc.com/forums/forced-induction/5869-turbos.html
http://www.club-tc.com/forums/forced-induction/1792-turbo-supercharger.html
There are some good books out there that explain the dynamics and workings of forced induction. Look them up on Amazon by searching forced induction.

Sorry, not much can be done for tC's ADS (Automatic Deficiency Syndrome). Unless you had a donor manual car, it is not cost effective; trans, wiring, ECM, clutch pedals, master/slave cylinders, linkage, shifter, etc.

Not sure if the autotrans ECM can be used on a manual. The manual trans only has a reverse light switch and the clutch has a switch that your car is not wired for. Then there is the cost of getting the shift cables and linkages. Not definite about the axles. I think they should be they should be the same and so should be the transmission mounts. You would need a clutch, flywheel, throwout bearing, slave/master cylinders with plumbing, and a clutch pedal. The car is setup to readily accept either transmission without need for modifications so installation should be PNP. If you do all the work yourself (which you should be able to do), I would estimate the cost of a used manual trans and all of the goodies to be around $900-1200. This all depends on whether you can get the parts from a wrecked tC and who is selling it. Most tC's that are "totaled" are repaired and put back on the market. Really totaled tC's are parted out for much needed spare parts. If you do have to replace the ECM, it will add up the cost plus a visit to the Dealership for a VIN verification and odometer statement to your local State tax office. Chaaaa-Ching! There is a remote possibility that you might find a person with a manual trans that regrets not getting an autotrans (heavy traffic driver) and you both could equally swap out parts.